add 2 pounds of mashed butternut squash I had roasted, mashed and frozen the squash last fall so I just thawed it

stir to incorporate – add 2 cups stock (I used a homemade chicken I had frozen but vegetable should work too) and stir again

season with a bay leaf, crushed sage leaves and fresh ground black pepper

keep over low heat for about an hour (simmer is too strong, just want to keep the heat up to meld all the flavors)

remove bay leaf and puree with a stick blender until smooth – add about 4 oz of apple sauce (I used a single serve cup) – mix and add a new bay leaf – continue to heat on low – season to taste with salt, pepper and anything else that strikes your fancy (I will try adding a dash of chili powder to a bowl since I’m unsure of the outcome)

Basic conversion I used was 1 cup stock per pound of squash – very scale-able. Add more stock if the soup seems too thick. A large jab of apple sauce can be used in place of fresh apples. Substitute apple juice for stock for a sweeter soup.